


The Outsider

by SoLongThisIsGospel



Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Black Panther - Freeform, F/M, Falling In Love, Outsider - Freeform, T’Challa - Freeform, T’Challa experiences different cultures, cursing in spanish, people of wakanda are skeptical of T’Challa dating an outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 12:38:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14165022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoLongThisIsGospel/pseuds/SoLongThisIsGospel
Summary: T’Challa meets a girl who constantly keeps him on his toes, curses him out in Spanish, and shows his people that not all outsiders are bad.





	The Outsider

He first saw her in the concession line.

A small pretty thing, puny looking standing next to the awkwardly gangly man who was outwardly arguing with himself whether or not to get a frappachino in this cold weather. They were strangers, commoners, not really catching his attention. Americans were all the same in his eyes, no matter how many of them he's met he cannot say that he's ever really befriended any of them. Not even when he studied at Oxford. Sure he talked to class mates here and there but he was smart of enough to avoid study groups and most of the time he would video chat his family back in Wakanda anyways.

Now that he thinks back on it, if his people had asked him 'why go to a coffee shop, you're a king! You can have anything you want at the snap of your fingers yet you go to a coffee shop?' He would tell them that he was simply thirsty. That's why he's here. Because he's a human being who is thirsty and is entitled to be able to stand there in the concession line waiting to buy a coffee like everyone else. Sure the situation was comical, a king waiting with his ex girlfriend and number one body guard dressed in regular civilian clothes behind an old lady and her husband who were bickering over what to get, not something you'd see everyday.

But he's tired and hasn't had much peace of mind thanks to all the senators and ambassadors who are ignorantly trying to change pieces of the accords that are obviously against the enhanced or gifted beings so all he wants is to sit down and be normal for a second. Have a strong cup of coffee and tell everyone to fuck off. It was a Starbucks, not yet too busy being only 7 in the morning in Los Angeles with the weather consisting of pouring rain. he was hoping it was going to be sunny, like it normally is, but sadly his hopes were crushed. The curtains were open, letting the bright grey sunlight stream through the dark clouds, the stores lights dimmed to enhance the 'rainy day' affect. there weren't many people in line, only two males, and old elderly couple, and a younger couple being the boy and girl who he had his attention on for a brief second. it was the perfect amount of people, not too many who would turn into a full mode questioning group and so far none of them bothered to look his way and if they did and recognized him, no one spoke a word about it. just what he needed. he wished there were more days where it could be like this, and a small selfish part of him wishes he could take this moment back to Wakanda.

"i want a hot chocolate, get me a hot chocolate" the old mans voice softly croaked out, looking at his partner.

"it's to early for coco jerry, your blood sugar-"

his wife's screechy voice was cut off from scolding him.

"let me live my life women!"

The old couple who was arguing over what to get and currently T'Challa's source of amusement were kindly offered to cut ahead of the small girl in hushed murmurs that he could hardly hear, the old couple happily accepted the offer and shuffled forward, now leaving him behind the girl and her friend, that's when he really noticed her.

Like he noticed before she was tiny, no taller than 5 feet with long brown hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall with harsh crashing waves here and there. She wasn't skinny yet she wasn't heavy either, more like she was pudgy yet not on the heavier side but more on the leaner well fed side. She was pale, almost sickly looking yet it was her natural skin tone and somehow she was oddly pretty. He could see a Latin look to her, something screamed Hispanic to him. Wearing a thin looking corduroy tan jacket with back skinny jeans neatly folded to the ankle showing off gaudy awful bright green ankle socks that had small cartoon avocados which peaked out of dirty beat up black converse that were written all over with black permanent marker. She clearly had no fashion taste, out of the corner of his eye he could see Nakia and Okoye critically coming to the same conclusion as they examined her, openly judging her with looks of distaste, trying to find a threat to protect their king.

Looking back at her he could see her holding black cards with the bolded words UNO on them. He never saw the appeal. Even though he spent many years in America because of his college education he never found the silly American games interesting. He watched other students play the Uno game once and they all either didn't know how to play or were extremely bored, just wasting their time trying to have fun and completely failing. This was not the case in this situation. He knew this was not a normal thing, even for the odd americans, to be playing a silly card game while waiting in line for coffee.

The gangly significantly taller boy who was towering over her was still ranting on about what to buy as he dropped a card down onto the pile that was growing in the open bag that hung off her shoulder. He found that the card was red with a white number 8 on it, watching as the girl happily threw down a red 6 onto the pile. a small smile on her lips, she had that uncaring relaxed vibe to her.

"Maybe I should just get something hot, I mean it is raining outside..."

A green 6 was added to the pile

"Mmmm yea I'm going for a hot chocolate" the musical voice of the girl came out soft and pensive, almost soothing. apparently everyone wants a hot chocolate today, maybe T'Challa should get one too instead of coffee...

A green 9 was also included

"Yea but I usually love the cold drinks..."

"SON OF A BITCH"

T'Challa could feel his eyes widen, Okoye and Nakia tensing by him, ready to jump into action should violence erupt. The small girl turned facing her companion, he could see some of her more important facial features now, dark brown almost black eyes glared at the man fiercely while her arms hung tense at her sides, hands balled up into fists heavily bending the already worn tattered cards. Her face was heart shaped, long eyelashes beautifully framing those boring looking yet somehow spectacular eyes, lips set firmly against each other as she silently stared at the man. Her cool looking aura now turned to something alike mock fierce. She was pretty. Ordinary. Amusing and now surprising. T'Challa now had something to replace his previous form of entertainment.

He slightly shifted his head to look down towards the bag where he saw the card of conflict. A green card with arrows intertwined stared almost innocently back at him, not knowing what the meant yet somehow knowing the card had to do with the profanity he sent small almost nonexistent smiles to Nakia and Okoye, watching as the went back to alert yet falsely casual calm stances, a hint of annoyance yet amusement on their faces. There was no threat here.

The tall man laughed, a genuine one that T'Challa rarely did, throwing his head back and eyes sliding shut before reopening and grinning widely at the small girl, giving her a large smirk all the while still giggling. Grown men hardly giggle, it's rare.

"Hey you wanted to play man," his deep voice rang out, awkwardly pausing here and there as he continued to laugh freely.

Now that T'Challa looked at him he came to the same conclusion as he did for the girl. He was good looking yet ordinary, with light brown almost dirty blonde slightly curly hair that was cut neatly, brownish green eyes hidden behind thin largely squared gold frame glasses on a cleanly shaven face. He was tall, skinny, no muscle but still lean. He wasn't geeky just awkward looking, yet when he smiled brightly down at the girl, he was handsome, something that even T'Challa couldn't deny.

"Yeah but I thought you were gonna play fair, not leave all your good cards for the end, you know I don't have anymore greens!" She stomped her foot on the ground a childish move. Not afraid to make an act like that in public either, T'Challa was finding the situation more and more interesting.

"Did you just stomp your foot? Really?"

So he wasn't the only one that noticed.

"Did you just make an asshole move? Ezra Really?"

T'Challa was now openly grinning, he looked towards Nakia who would looking the other way trying to hide her smile, and to Okoye who held a poker face but with an eyebrow raised in questioning, amusement deep in her eyes. the pair was quite funny to watch. annoying yet funny. they disliked them a little less.

"you gotta draw."

"Mmm pues ya que?"

The reply came out smooth, tongue rolling expertly on the syllables making the words come out beautifully sharp and sarcastic. T'Challa was always proud of learning languages fluently and he couldn't help but gleefully enjoy his knowledge right now, he was fluent in Spanish so hearing someone else fluently speak it to talk meanly to other people was very entertaining.

The girl angrily groaned, shaking her posture up and down a couple times in rage as she continued to draw multiple cards from a separate pile in the pocket of the man named Ezra. T'Challa help himself, he let out a small huff of laughter, grinning widely, eye crinkling and then toning it down to a polite smile when the girl turned to look at him, somewhat sheepish and embarrassed. Brown eyes met even darker brown, colliding and holding each others gaze.

"See now people around us are listening and laughing at us. See what you do!" Ezra joked.

His gaze held hers, her eyes looking, searching, evaluating, it made him feel slightly exposed. T'Challa knew he was handsome, he knew he was wealthier than others, hell, he's a king! But it still doesn't take his nerves away when someone especially from the opposite gender checks him out. He feels smug, but also embarrassment. She looked him up and down subtly, pale cheeks tinting red with a blush. She obviously found him attractive. She was looked lovely with a blush. Which surprised him, he didn't think he'd find himself interested in someone that wasn't from his people. He smiled at her. the fake polite smile that was shown countless of times in front of senators and business men, everyone apart from family.

"Did you see that move he just pulled? Totally unfair right?"

Her almost childlike voice rang out in his ears, looking at him with subdued playfulness before looking back down to her hand and throwing out a newly found 4 green card into her bag. she was trying to make polite conversation.

"It wasn't unfair it's called strategy." Ezra argued, looking up briefly to look at T'Challa, eyes skimming over Nakia and Okoye for seconds before looking away nonchalant, disinterested. T'Challa was somewhat surprised and a bit offended. Nakia was beautiful, always was always will be. Even though he and Nakia are no longer together, they ended things mutually after trying and failing to work through their relationship after T'Challa had killed Erik and once again regained the crown, he couldn't nor would deny that Nakia is greatly beautiful. Okoye also has undeniable beauty, something her husband liked to boast about in front of everyone to tease her and embarrass her.

Gaining his attention, a yellow four was thrown into the pile as well.

"Strategy my ass"

A yellow 2.

He openly laughed now, watching as she turned her head back to face him and smiled wider, eyes darting between him, Nakia, and Okoye. It was too funny, they all towered over her now that he noticed the height difference.

"I have to admit, pulling out dirty tricks such as those in the end of a battle is dishonorable, at least that's how it is seen where I come from" T'Challa spoke, playing along with the banter, watching as both of their heads snapped up a little higher at hearing his thick accent, no doubt wondering where they are from. The girl still smiling, smiled wider, lips parting and speaking more excitedly, happy to gain more conversation as her friend dropped another card. A red 2.

"Right? Ezra just wants to beat me for once. I usually win." her cool exterior was turning into one of interest as she shifted to look at them now, talking with more enthusiasm.

"Do not."

"Do too, winner buys drinks!" she happily proclaimed, leaning forward on the tips of her toes, showing her excitement. Are all Americans this happy all the time? it's far too early and too rainy to be this happy, T'Challa notes.

"is that so? it seems you are both very invested in this game" he drawls, making polite conversation but internally slightly amused.

"the game is only fun when there's a deal made, hence the yelling, it's all for the drinks,"

"so i see."

"you don't sound like you're from around here, your accent sounds cool, where are you from?" she inquired, slightly tilting her head to the side, it was small, subtle, almost unnoticable, but he caught it. it reminded him of a dog. how odd. He wondered how long it was going to take them to ask about their obvious accent. before he got the chance, Nakia surprisingly answered for him, now joining the conversation. perhaps she saw his effort and thought to join in.

"Wakanda. We are from Wakanda."

He vaguely heard Ezra's surprise mumble of "no shit." But that was due to the fact that his attention was solely on the girl who was now gazing at Nakia with curiosity and happiness, hands whipping out another card and shamelessly throwing it into her bag without taking her eyes off of Nakia.

"Wakanda? I've never heard of it, I'm assuming it's really far"

Her lack of knowledge was justified as it was strange. No one knew of what wakanda really is but at the same time how could she not have heard of it. Did she not recognize who they are? Did she not watch the news that has been blasting his meeting with the accords nation wide, showing him up on the pillar speaking of opening and sharing wakanda's resources? Surely she was acting stupid about the whole situation to make conversation with a king right? Just to say she's actually met one and spoke to one. A story to tell her friends later on. Ezra knew of wakanda, so why does she not?

"Indeed, very far, practically hidden." Nakia stated, side eyeing her king and Okoye with a knowing look in her eye. Hidden indeed.

"Mostly isolated?" She asked, once again tilting her head minimally to the side and stumbling when Ezra pulled her backwards to move forward in line seeing as she was now facing them. T'Challa noticed how jerky and almost borderline violent the movement had been, how Ezra had without a care in the world pushed his hand in the crook of her elbow, grabbed and yanked back, paying no attention to her stumble or her momentary surprise. She looked up at him, giving him a small smile in almost strange gratitude, before turning back to Nakia and looking at her expectantly.

"Yes, pretty isolated."

"Must be nice sometimes, to be away from the crap here In the U.S. Or busy cities like LA in general," she said quietly, her expression softening and her eyes looking down slightly, glazing over, almost like her mind was running a mile per second before she looked up at them all.

T'Challa thought it over, how could he say "even though small wakanda is also quite busy and has several building structures such as this one that is more filled with people so there was really no isolation from other people, just hidden from the rest of the world?" He didn't know what to say to the girl who was looking at them excitedly, curious, expectant. So he settled for a "yes it is."

He expected the conversation to end there, for her to turn around and pay attention to the now moving line where the elderly couple was now ordering, the man named jerry proudly stating "I want a hot chocolate" ignoring the disapproving looks from his wife. But she didn't, because at that exact moment Ezra's voice rang out almost laughingly as he stated "UNO!", looking down at the girl with a large smug smile. He also expected for her to look at Ezra mad, maybe let out another word of profanity or yell out angrily, but she didn't, infact she looked T'Challa straight in the eye and said swiftly and quickly:

" no creo"

As she said this she proudly grinned, eyes crinkling deeply with excitement and cheer as she mockingly held up a card for him to see before she showed Ezra, watching as his eyes widened and then let out a whiny tone.

"screw you. "

the card she showed T'Challa said 'SWAP HANDS' with a picture of hands holding cards and arrows pointing at one another. He understood the gist of it, and smiled down at her when she smirked and traded cards with Ezra, comically stating "UNO!" When his card was finally in her hands and her stack of cards now laid in his unhappy ones.

They could see Ezra pondering which card to put down, eyes furrowed and mouth frowning before sighing and throwing down a yellow card. The reaction was almost instantaneous.

"BOOM, FREE DRINKS BAY-BEE" she happily yelled, emphasizing the 'baby' as she comically threw down the last card slammingly in her bag, turning around and sticking her tongue out to Ezra. She was overjoyed, grabbing onto Ezra's arm and leaning into him as she happily declared.

"One hot chocolate pleaseeeee"

She was smug, snuggling into Ezra's side as she looked up at him, waiting for his response. In turn, Ezra looked down at her, exasperated but amused as he smiled and mumbled a "fine." Quietly. A couple? They sure looked like one. Though he wasn't too sure on whether they acted like one or not. They both turned back to look at them.

"I usually win." She restated, eyes sparkling with humor as she looked at T'Challa. He realized that she was in fact confirming and showing him that she won, feeling as though she had to validate her win.

"So you did," he confirmed, eyeing her softly and smiling back when she gave him a soft smile in return, eyes boring straight into his before turning back around to face the barista that was now awaiting their order. He gazed down at her small back, shoulders calm and lax, one arm now shoved into her pocket and the other sitting neatly in the crook of her friends elbow.

Still clinging onto Ezra, she gazed up at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Hey can I get two tall hot chocolates and two of the birthday cake Cake pops?" He ordered, ignoring the quizzical look the girl threw at him.

"I'm not hungry?"

"You need to eat, you haven't eaten lately."

"That's because I'm not hungry,"

"No it's because you quite literally forget to eat."

She hummed, no longer arguing. Eyes roaming around the coffee shop with disinterest. her attitude changes rather quickly T'Challa notices.

"And the name? For the order?"

"Ez-" he was cut off.

"Loser. His name is loser. Actually on one cup can you put winner and on the other one can you put loser?" her smug voice rang out, eyes looking up at ezra in taunt.

They couldn't see it but T'Challa and Nakia were smiling, Okoye as usual with her stonic face. this girl really did act childish. It was refreshing.

The Barista smiled, catching onto the joke but still looking at Ezra for confirmation.

"Yea that's fine" he nodded, not sounding like he really cared that he was being called a loser. He's a good sport, T'Challa notices.

"I'll have your order ready in just a minute."

And with that the couple stepped to the side, the girl momentarily glancing at T'Challa again before turning her head straight and walking to the pick up table that was a few feet away from the register. He stepped forward, Nakia and Okoye standing on either side of him and slightly behind, flanking him as he smiled at the barista who looked at him with wide eyes.

Ah. She recognized him.

"And what can I get for your highness?"

Her voice was slightly a pitch higher than when she was talking to the couple, posture straightening and hands slightly shaking. Poor girl. Not being able to help himself, he turned, looking at the couple to see if they heard her speak the honorific, if they heard what she called him. Only one noticed. The girl was grabbing straws, humming to herself as she looked out the window. Ezra on the other hand looked up at him, but not with surprise, but with the same disinterest he looked at Nakia and Okoye with. Like he didn't care at all. It once again confused T'Challa. He turned to his two companions.

" a coffee would be nice" Nakia stated, smiling at him. He turned to Okoye. She seemed a little hesitant to ask for anything at all, but once she saw the expectant look on T'Challa's face she answered.

"A coffee as well would be greatly appreciated my king."

He nodded, turning back to the barista and giving her a polite distanced smile as he ordered.

"Two large coffees and a hot chocolate please." He ordered, reaching into his pocket only to be halted with the barista's hands frantically waving in his view point.

"They're on the house!"

As much as he appreciated it, it still unsettled him the obvious perks that came with being royalty.

"Although Kind it is not necessary" he assured her, almost thanking her in a way, he once again reached for his wallet.

"Really I insist!"

Not one to be arguing with free drinks, T'Challa thanked her and went to sit down at a table by the window flanked once again by his lovely female companions. Had his little sister Shuri been here she would have scolded and hissed at him to never turn down free coffee. She enjoyed the perks of royalty.

He watched the couple, watching the girl polish off her cake pop before Ezra, without hesitating or looking at her, passed her his cake pop for her to eat as well. She didn't argue this time. Simply took it and cutely said "ah" as she opened her mouth and took a big bite. It had T'Challa smiling. He turned back to Okoye and Nakia.

"After this we have to meet with members of the U.S government to discuss Wakanda's involvement my king" Okoye reminded him, face as always, one of business. Her eyes stayed locked with his momentarily, direct eye contact out of respect before darting around, once again surveying the area.

"And we will meet with them Okoye but for now I would like to enjoy a cup of coffee without any commotion." He smiled, she nodded her head.

Nakia shifted in her seat, humming and looking out the window. She lightly tapped her finger against the table.

"For winner and loser!" The barista called, half laughing, smile wide as she set the cups onto the counter and slid them towards the couple. They grabbed them, one small, one large hand darting forward to grab the drinks. He saw the small girl smile brightly at the barista, thanking her before tugging Ezra towards the direction of the door.

"Let's go I gotta finish my paper by 12."

"See this is what you get for waiting last minuet"

"No one asked you Ezra, let's go!"

And in those moments, minimal seconds that Ezra held open the door, she turned, looking around the shop until her eyes met his. She gave him a large smile, hand going up in half wave to which he nodded his head politely in turn. And just like that she walked out. Gone.

Unknown to him and his companions, he would be seeing her again. She would be apart of his future, bringing more joy and life than he has ever known. She, the outsider.


End file.
